Ice removing apparatus



Sept. 11, 1962 c. E. RUDY ICE REMOVING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1959 FlG.2.

INVENTOR.

CHARLE S E. RUDY ATT NEYS Sept. 11, 1962 c. E. RUDY 3,053,460

ICE REMOVING APPARATUS Filed April 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L0 INVENTOR. CHARLES E. RUDY Ll.

yaw- 561 42 ATTOR N S United States Patent Office 3,053,460 ICE REMQVING APPARATUS Charles E. Rudy, St. Clair Shores, Mich, assignor to Continental Aviation and Engineering Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Virginia Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,149 Claims. (Cl. 239-407) My invention relates to snow and ice removal apparatus and more particularly to a nozzle structure adapted for connection with a source of heated compressed air and comprising assembly parts adaptable for various combinations.

As presently conceived, an object of the apparatus is to economically remove snow and ice from aircraft and other surfaces by utilizing the kinetic and thermal energy of compressed air, such as is furnished by high capacity mobile turbin compressors, in as efiicient a manner as possible. In situations where a heavy blanket of snow has not frozen to the surface, the high velocity air can readily remove the snow. When surfaces are coated with frozen snow and/ or ice, the high temperature of the air is used to melt a small area of the ice to expose the surface, after which de-icing proceeds rapidly because the heat applied to this area extends by conduction to adjacent areas. As new areas of ice are slightly loosened, they will be removed by the force of the high velocity air.

The present nozzle also includes a means for applying glycol or other ice inhibiting agent on urfaces from which all the snow and/ or ice is removed from a particular area. This provision is particularly useful for inhibiting ice formation on aircraft surfaces prior to take-off.

For a more complete understanding of the invention. reference may be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention in which like reference characters refer to the parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a top view of one nozzle assembly embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of another modification of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the nozzle portion of the assembly as seen substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle structure taken substantially on the line 66 of FIG. 5, and illustrating a modified handle attachment in lieu of the handle assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a nozzle end elevational view as seen substantially from the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of the modification of the assembly of FIG. 1 as used by two operators, and

FIG. 9 is an illustration of the modification of th assembly of FIG. 2 as used by one operator on a mechanical boom.

Referring to the modification of FIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 8, the nozzle assembly 10 is illustrated as comprising preferably a tube portion 11 and a nozzle portion 12, the tube portion having annular flanges 13 at the ends. The nozzle portion 12 has a flange 14 adapted to abut one end flange 13 of the tube 11 and to be swivelingly secured thereto by any means such as a clamp 15 of conventional construction. The nozzle portion 12 tapers to an elongated flattened end 16. The other flange 13 of the tube 11 is adapted for connection with an air supply hose 17 as indicated in FIG. 8, the hose delivering heated compressed air from any suitable supply means (not shown).

Handles 20 and 21 are provided on the tube portion 11, being clamped thereto by similar split clamp members 22 on which the handles are mounted, the two halves of each split clamp member 22 being secured by any means such as bolts 23. In FIGS. 2, 3 and 9, another modification is shown in which instead of the handles 20 a mounting fixture 24 is utilized. The mounting fixture 24 preferably comprises a fork member 25 pivotally secured to the clamp member 22 on a lateral axis and pivotally secured to an elongated mounting fork 26 on a vertical axis extending normal to the other axis, both of the aforesaid axes being normal to the longitudinal axis of the tube portion 11, so that when the fork 26 is mounted on any suitable structure such as the railing 27 of a platform 28 carried by a mechanical boom 29, as shown in FIG. 9, it may be easily swiveled and tilted as described.

In the modifications of FIGS. 1 and 2, the axially extending handle 21 can be provided with a valve assembly 30 of any preferred conventional type connected by a con, duit 31 with any suitable source of ice inhibiting agent (not shown) and by a conduit 32 with a nozzle assembly 33 mounted on the nozzle portion 12. The valve 30 can be selectively operated by means of a manual button 34 to provide injection of ice inhibiting agent into the air flowing through the nozzle portion 12.

In handling by one operator when a relatively lesser air flow would be sufficient, the tube 11 can be eliminated, the air supply hose being connected directly to the nozzle portion 12. In this event, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the nozzle portion 12 is provided with handles 40 and 41, the handle 41 preferably having a mounting 42 which carries a valve 43 similar in construction to the valve 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A conduit 44 preferably extends through the handle 41 as shown and connects the valve 43 with the source of ice inhibiting agent (not shown), and a conduit 45 connects the valve 43' with the nozzle assembly 53.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the preferred construction of the nozzle portion 12 as having a nozzle plate 46 pro vided with a plurality of aligned spaced orifices 47 each having a rounded converging inlet side 48 for effecting a high velocity laterally elongated flow of air. A plurality of spaced diverging vanes 49 are disposed within the portion 11 for the purpose of providing a more uniform air flow over the length of the nozzle plate 46.

The nozzle plate 46 is held in a slot 50 which extends around the inner periphery of the elongated outlet 16, one end being closed by a cap 51 secured by any means such as screws 52. Thus the plate 46 may be readily removed for cleaning the interior of the nozzle portion 12. The ice inhibiting nozzle assembly 33 has a tube element 53 which extends into the air flowing through the nozzle portion 12 substantially as shown, the ice inhibiting agent, preferably glycol or a similar liquid, being selectively injected into the air for discharge from the nozzle orifices 47 to apply it to the surface being de-iced.

Although I have described only a few preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable device for the removal of snow and ice from aircraft and other surfaces comprising a fabricated nozzle assembly having an air inlet adapted for connection with a source of heated compressed air, a laterally elongated nozzle structure having an elongated outlet, and a removable substantially flat elongated nozzle plate closing said nozzle outlet, said nozzle structure having a pair of trapezoidal shaped Walls spaced by a pair of side walls, said nozzle plate having a plurality of spaced Patented Sept. 11, 1962 laterally aligned outlet orifices, said outlet orifices being disposed on substantially parallel axes, said nozzle structure provided with guide means for slidably supporting said elongated nozzle plate and providing for the ready disassembly of said nozzle plate from said nozzle structure, and a removable closure means disposed at one end of said guide means for securing said nozzle plate in position with respect to said nozzle outlet, handle means secured to said side Walls, conduit means adapted for connection to a source of ice inhibiting agent carried in one of said handles, a dispersing means connected to said conduit and carried in one of said trapezoidal-shaped walls and being operable to dispense said agent into said heated compressed air, valve means disposed in said handle means, said valve means being operable to control the flow of ice inhibiting agent to said dispensing means.

2. A portable snow and ice removal device as defined in claim 1, wherein handle means are attached to diametrical opposite external portions of said device to facilitate handling of same.

3. A portable snow and ice removal device as defined in claim 1, wherein adjustable handle means are attached to diametrical opposite external portions of said device, said handle means longitudinally and angularly adjustably fastened to said device.

4. A portable snow and ice removal device as defined in claim 1 Wherein said guide means comprises opposed 4 facing grooves disposed along said elongated sides 01 the nozzle outlet, and said nozzle plate is slidably supported in said grooves.

5. A portable device for the removal of snow and ice from aircraft and other surfaces comprising a fabricated nozzle assembly having an air inlet adapted for connection with a source of heated compressed air, a hollow nozzle structure having a pair of spaced side Walls, handle means secured to each of said side walls, conduit means adapted for connection to a source of ice inhibiting agent and carried in one of said handles, means connected to said conduit being operable to selectively disperse a flow of ice inhibiting agent into the heated air directed through said nozzle structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 220,006 Warden Sept. 23, 1879 469,211 Kline Feb. 16, 1892 1,179,809 Dabelstein Apr. 18, 1916 1,434,625 Olsen Nov. 7, 1922 1,902,202 Vawter Mar. 21, 1933 1,919,365 Gilsenan July 25, 1933 2,203,087 Hanson June 4, 1940 2,581,353 Bonvillian Jan. 8, 1952 2,685,146 Stevens Aug. 3, 1954 2,785,015 Brock Mar. 12, 1957 2,802,286 Wylie Aug. 13, 1957 

